Major Power Outage on New Year’s Eve Impacts 1.3 Million Residents – One America News Network
OAN Staff James Meyers
9:30 AM – Tuesday, December 31, 2024
In a sudden turn of events, a widespread blackout struck Puerto Rico early on Tuesday, just as the U.S. territory was gearing up for New Year celebrations, plunging over 1.3 million residents into darkness.
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Officials reported that the process of restoring power could take as long as two days.
The outage occurred in the early hours, causing the usual hum of the island to fade as electrical devices and air conditioning units powered down, with only those equipped with generators able to retain some light.
According to Luma Energy, which manages electricity transmission and distribution, nearly 90% of the island’s 1.47 million residents found themselves without power.
The energy provider indicated that the blackout was likely due to a malfunctioning underground power line and reassured residents that efforts to restore power were underway “in the quickest and safest way possible.”
Governor-elect Jenniffer González Colón, set to be sworn in on January 2nd, expressed her intention to establish an “energy czar” position to assess possible breaches in Luma’s contract as a new operator is sought.
Current Governor Pedro Pierluisi also remarked on his communication with Luma and Genera PR, stating via X that “we are demanding answers and solutions.”
In the meantime, residents began to make preparations for the ongoing outage.
“I’ll head to my balcony. That’s where I’ll sleep,” shared local resident Raúl Pacheco in an interview.
Municipal worker Julio Córdova explained that he managed to get dressed with the help of his cellphone’s flashlight and planned to purchase candles without delay.
“This affects me because I had plans. Couldn’t it have happened yesterday or tomorrow?” he added.
Puerto Rico faces ongoing challenges with persistent power outages stemming from a failing electrical grid, which suffered extensive damage during Hurricane Maria, a Category 4 hurricane in September 2017. The system had been deteriorating for years due to neglected maintenance and lack of investment, and substantial repair efforts had only begun recently following the hurricane.
Last November, the Puerto Rican government had to seek approval from U.S. officials to continue using over a dozen portable generators for an additional two years.
The Electric Power Authority of Puerto Rico, the largest agency on the island, is also grappling with the restructuring of over $9 billion in debt.
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